THE COUNTY OF COLLINGWOOD.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVI, Issue XLVI, 19 October 1911, Page 6

THE COUNTY OF COLLINGWOOD.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —As you have thought the communication under this heading, whicn appeared in your columns cf yesterday, of sufficient public interest for insertion, 1 would -agk you to allow me space to point out that, in several particulars, those of the public who take any interest in the matter may receive a quite false impression. In the first place, the special order or resolution, that steps should be _ taken to divide the County into seven ridingts, was not sprung' upon the ratepayers as a surprise at t'he September meeting. Had it been so, of course it would have been cf no effect whatever. The order was passed in July, sufficiently long before the September meeting to enable notice < f its intended confirmation at that meeting tc- be advertised in the local paper, not only for the statutory four weeks preceding the confirmatory meeting, but, owing- to a misapprehension on the part (■I. the late County. Clerk, for at least one extra week.

As to the ratepayers not having been rble to obtain information regarding the reope and objects of-'the change, I can fay that during the whole of those five weeks not one word of inquiry or objection, far less any inkling of any widespread dissatisfaction, reached me personally, or the Council a.s a whole. If s:ny real objection had been expressed. T. j'jr one. a"d I have no doubt, a majority cf the Council, would have dropped the natter. As it was., eo objection was 1 fard of until all the papers had been forwarded to the Minister in Wellington. Then, when n deputation, the members of which have, at anv rate, now, • howii themselves to be objectors. ap-j,,-(.»ached the Council, I certainly, in my 1 iace as Chairman, stated niy opinion that, as objectors, they were too late; but. far from refusing information, as your correspondent insinuates, I explain- *"'. to the best of my ability, my own virw-;. and niv reasons for supporting the division of the County, when it had been proposed by another Councillor. I

answered all questions as well as I was able, and I asked other Councillors to state their ideas, which most of them did. I am sorry that the Chairman of the meeting held last Monday thought thatindividual Councillors treated the ratepayers contemptuously. I don't think any Councillor would purposely merit that accusation, .and I am quite sure that, during my somewhat long sta.v in the County-no one can charge me with discourtesy to old or young. I had no knowledge of the meeting, having only reached Nelson from Wellington on the day before it was held. With thanks, I am, etc., N. L. BUCHANAN.